The heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning system of, for example, an automotive vehicle typically includes a draining tray positioned underneath the evaporator to collect the condensate water which is formed on the evaporator during operation of the system. The condensate water which collects in the tray is drained away through a condensate draining hose which extends from the tray to a draining hole provided in, for example, the floor of the vehicle which communicates with the exterior.
A condensate draining hose for a vehicle air-conditioning system which comprises a rigid portion which extends through the vehicle wall and a co-molded elastomeric portion having an end portion shaped for connection to the tray of the air conditioning system is known from EP 1 645 447 B1. However, this monolithic condensate draining hose has the disadvantage that it is complicated to fit into the vehicle.
It is, therefore, at least one object of the present invention to provide a condensate draining hose that can be fitted into a vehicle more simply. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics, will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a condensate draining pipe for a heating, ventilating and/air conditioning system is provided which comprises a condensate feed portion and a condensate drain portion. The condensate feed portion and the condensate drain portion are connectable to one another by a press-fit coupling assembly which comprises an O-ring seal.
The condensate draining pipe comprises two pieces which are connectable to one another by a press-fitting coupling assembly. A two-piece draining pipe has the advantage that the two pieces may be fitted into the vehicle at different stages in the assembly line. Therefore, a greater degree of flexibility is provided which can reduce the costs of producing the vehicle.
A press-fit coupling has the advantage that the two pieces can be connected together by a simple press fitting procedure which can be performed without particular tools. This further simplifies the assembly of the condensate draining pipe in the vehicle.
The O-ring seal is resilient and may comprise rubber, for example. The O-ring seal has the advantage that a detachable press-fit connection is provided. The condensate feed portion and the condensate drain portion of the condensate draining pipe may detachedly connected to one another which simplifies maintenance and repair of the HVAC system. The O-ring seal provides a cylindrical interference fit between the two pieces of the condensate draining pipe.
In an embodiment, the press-fit coupling assembly comprises a shaft fitting and a sleeve flange fitting. The shaft fitting is able to be accommodated within the sleeve flange fitting.
To join the two pieces of the condensate draining pipe, that is the condensate feed portion and the condensate drain portion, the press-fit coupling assembly is assembled so that the O-ring seal is compressed between an outer surface of the shaft fitting and an inner surface of the sleeve flange fitting.
In an embodiment, the shaft fitting is provided by an end of the condensate feed portion and comprises a nozzle shaped end of the condensate feed portion of the draining pipe. An end of the condensate draining portion may provide the sleeve flange fitting. The sleeve flange fitting is, in an embodiment, integral with the condensate drain portion which has the advantage of reducing the number of joints.
The condensate feed portion may further comprise a feed flange which is adapted to be connected to a condensate drain flange of the HVAC module of the HVAC system. The condensate drain flange may be a portion of the draining tray of the HVAC.
The feed flange of the condensate feed portion of the draining pipe may further comprise latching means for detachedly attaching the condensate feed portion to the condensate drain flange of the HVAC module. The latching means may comprise at least one opening positioned in the condensate feed portion for accommodating a resilient snap action hook protruding from the drain flange of the HVAC module.
The condensate drain portion may further comprise a draining outlet nozzle through which the condensate is drained away. In further embodiment, the condensate draining pipe further comprises a bushing adapted to accommodate the drain nozzle of the compensate drain portion. The bushing is adapted to hold the drain nozzle of the draining pipe in the opening positioned in the vehicle body panel. The bushing may also have a sound insulation as well as a sealing function.
To further improve the seal of the press-fit coupling assembly, the sleeve flange fitting and/or the shaft fitting may comprise a groove for accommodating the O-ring seal. A groove has the advantage that the O-ring seal is held in the desired position within the press-fit coupling assembly. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of the interface between the O-ring seal and the shaft fitting and sleeve flange fitting is increased which may further improve the reliability of the seal.
In a further embodiment, the condensate draining pipe further comprises a height adjustment fixing. The fixing enables the draining pipe to be attached to another component in a desired position. The fixing may be provided in the form of a height adjustment fixing so that the position of the draining pipe may be adjusted so as to allow for variations in manufacturing tolerance. In an embodiment, the height adjustment fixing comprises a slot fixing.
In an embodiment of the invention, the height adjustment fixing is attached to the condensate draining portion and, in a further embodiment, is attached to the sleeve flange.
The further embodiments, the condensate feed portion is flexible and the condensate draining portion and the shaft fitting are rigid. In this case, the condensate drain portion may be pre-assembled into the vehicle and the condensate feed portion fitted afterwards. The flexibility of the condensate feed portion can be useful during the fitting when arranging the condensate feed portion in position and connecting it to the pre-mounted condensate drain portion by the press-fit coupling assembly.
In a further embodiment, the condensate feed portion comprises a flexible compensating portion arranged adjacent the press-fit coupling assembly. The flexible portion may be provided by a portion of the pipe having a bellows form. This enables differences in the size and arrangement of the condensate draining pipe to be compensated so that the two separate pieces of the condensate draining pipe can be fitted together and a sealed joint be provided by the press-fit coupling assembly.
The resilient O-ring is compressed between the rigid shaft fitting and the rigid sleeve flange fitting of the condensate draining portion to provide a seal and a detachable press-fit between the condensate feed portion and the condensate draining portion of the draining pipe.
The condensate feed portion and condensate drain portion of the draining pipe may each have a form which is adapted to fit a desired route of the draining pipe within the vehicle. Each portion has a tubular form. However, the cross-section of each portion is not necessarily circular and may vary along the length in order that the condensate draining pipe is better adapted to the available space.
Furthermore, the two portions may also have a form and length so that the press-fit coupling assembly through which the two portions are connected to one another is arranged in a particular location within the vehicle. This location can be chosen so as to simplify the fitting of the draining pipe into the vehicle.
In an embodiment, the condensate feed portion extends between the HVAC module and a centre console of the vehicle. The condensate drain portion extends from the centre console centre console the vehicle to an opening in the body panel of the vehicle through which the condensate can drain away to the exterior. The coupling assembly is, therefore, arranged in the region of the centre console of the vehicle.
In further embodiment of the invention, at least a part of the condensate drain portion is integral with a portion of the vehicle bodywork. This has the advantage that the space occupied by the condensate drain portion of the draining pipe can be more closely adapted to the form of the vehicle bodywork. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the condensate drain portion so as to be less visually noticeable. The condensate drain portion may be an integral part of a cast or injection molded portion of the vehicle bodywork. A section of the condensate drain portion may be integral with a foot well or with the centre console of the vehicle, for example.
The invention also provides a method for assembling a condensate draining pipe of a heating ventilating and/or air conditioning system, the condensate draining pipe comprising a condensate feed portion and a condensate drain portion connectable to one another by a press-fit coupling assembly. According to the invention, the condensate drain portion is mounted before the condensate feed portion is connected to the condensate drain portion by the press-fit coupling assembly.
The condensate drain portion is, therefore, pre-mounted in, for example, the vehicle and the condensate feed portion may be mounted into the vehicle at a later stage in the assembly line. This has the advantage that sound insulation and/or carpet may be placed on top of the condensate drain portion rather than the draining pipe having to be inserted through a hole provided in the pre-fitted sound insulation and/or carpet in order that the pipe is fitted into the opening in the car bodywork.
The condensate feed portion may be provided with a shaft fitting and the condensate drain portion may be provided with a sleeve flange. In this embodiment, the shaft fitting is inserted into the sleeve flange fitting to provide the press-fit coupling assembly connecting the condensate drain portion and the condensate feed portion.
In a further embodiment, an O-ring seal is provided and the press-fit coupling is sealed by positioning the O-ring seal between the shaft fitting and the sleeve flange fitting.
The condensate feed portion may be connected to the condensate drain portion by compressing the O-ring seal between an outer surface of the shaft fitting and an inner surface of the sleeve flange fitting.
The condensate drain portion may be pre-mounted by mounting it on a portion of the vehicle bodywork. The condensate drain portion can have a form and be positioned such that the press-fit coupling assembly is arranged at an edge of the sound insulation and/or carpet. Therefore, a one piece carpet without a hole or slot in the centre for the draining pipe may be used. For example, if the coupling assembly is arranged at the centre console of the vehicle, the sound insulation and/or carpet may include a cutout in its edge which abuts the centre console in which the sleeve flange of the condensate draining portion is exposed.
Pre-mounting the draining portion of the draining pipe enables it to be hidden away under sound insulation and/or carpet therefore improving the visual look of the vehicle interior.